Pump installation



Dec. 20, 1927.

G. C. GRAHAM ET AL PUMP INSTALLATION Filed Feb. 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

Inven'rors. George C. Graham Hober '5. Fobe A Tys.

Patented Dec.l 20, 1927.

PATE-rrrg ori-fica.

GEORGE c. aangenaam ROBERT s. ROBE, orlwaTaaTowN, waacusnms,

` PUMP INSTALLATION. l

Appucaaon mea reuma-y' so, me. semi N9.' 89,561.

This invention relates to a pum installation for use where it is desiredto fi l a chamber k,rapidly with a fluid and then to buildV up a relatively high pressure gin salidchamf, bei', and the general object of the invention is to provide a pump installation capable of accomplishing this end with a minimum expenditure of energy.

In pump installations of this (general type it has heretofore been propose to employ a lar e-volume low-pressure pump for l ine the ciamber :and t volume high-pressure pump for buildingA up the pressure in thechamber. pum 1nstallatioii` embod ing my invention is this general type. he large-volume low-pres- 'sure pump 'which we preferably employ is of the centrifugal pump type, this ump having the advantage that it is very e cient in delivering a largetvolume at a low pressure. The high-pressure small-volume pump may be of any desired type. That herein shown is a gear pump.

The actuating mechanism for both pumps is constructed so that the pumps operate simultaneously.V vThe low-pressure largevolume pump is connected'to the chambery to beilled and also to a source of supply and when the pumps are operated said largevolume pump will rapidly fill the chamber. The inlet and outlet connections of thesmallvolume high-pressure pump are such` that While thek pumps are` operating saidhighpressure pump is also pumping water into the chamber although in small volumes. When 'the pressure in the chamber reaches tlie'liniit capable of being developed by the low-pressure pump `th`en said, pump will simply slipfwithoutmoving any water and without-forcing anywater into the chamber. Thehigh-pressure pump however, continues 1 to deliver water into the vchamber and -begins to build up the desired pressure therein. A check valve is employed which' is situated to reveiit the waterflowing 'back through the ow-pressure pump when the 'high-pressure *pump is operating tov buildv up -the pressure.

During the continued loperation of the two pumps kafter the 'low-pressure ypump ceases to deliver water-the high-'pressure pump is the only one which is effective in forcing water into the chamber, the low-pressure pump simply slippingwithout doing any work. e'

The .device isl entirely `automatic in that en to employ a smalwhen the limitof pressure ca able of bein developed b the low-presslilre pump ig reached the s ift to the action of high-pres sure pump isaccomplished without requiring f any l attent-ion th'ei'part of. the operator.

notherA advantage ofjthe construction vherein shown isptlia't the "'l'iighlpres'sure pump acts as a means for priming the low-pressure pump whenl tlhe pump installation is` started in case sait ow-pressure um r uires to be primed before it will begin tpe oiqerate. A This invention is capable of vuse for a va. riety of purposes 1wherever it is desired to lill a chamber quickly with fluid and then build up a pressure in the chamber, and merely as illustrating one practicaluse for the invention we have shown it herein as it might be applied in connection with a washing machine of the type shown in United States Patent No. 1,547,266, dated June 26,

`1925, and granted to Robert S. Robe. We

cated at 1.y This chamber is constituted by the space between the cover 2 of a washing machine and a flexible diaphragm 3 which is secured to the cover at the periphery thereof. lThe washing machine comprises a tub or bowl 4 having within it the chamber 5 in which the clothes are to be Washed and the `cover 2 is hinged to the bowl, as shown at 6. The tub or receptacle 4 is providedl with a discharge pipe 7 through which the wash water is drained from the receptacle.

The dia hragm 3 and expansible chamber 1 are use partly to subject the clothes in the chamber 5 to pressure when the water has been withdrawn and thereby to squeeze the clothes to a semi-dried condition and this is done by pumping water or other luid under pressure into the chamber 1 thereby forcing the diaphragm 3 down against the clothes under a relatively high pressure. The movement of the diaphragm 3 may also be `used to introduce washing or rinsing water into the chamber 5 and this is accomplished as described in the above-mentioned Patent No. 1,547,266, by placing the end of the discharge pipe? (which is a flexible pipe) into Va tub or receptacle containing the washing water and after first pumping the water into the chamber 1 to force the diaphragm 3 down and contract the clothesreceiving compartment, then pumping the water or fluid out of the chamber 1 so as to raise the diaphragm 3 by suction, this operation expanding the clothes-receiving chamber 5 and sucking the water into it.

The pump installation embodying the present invention may be used for either pumping water or other fluid into the chamber 1 and for pumping the fluid out of said chamber 1.

The above reference to the use of the pump installation in filling or emptying the chamber ,1, is however, merely for illustrative purposes as it will be understood that this pump installation is equally well adapted for filling other chambers than the chamber 1 of the above-described Washing machine.

When the device is to be operated it is desirable to fill the chamber (which, in the drawing, is the chamber l) as quickly as possible and when the chamber is full it is then desirable to build up the pressure in the chamber ata moderate rate. The pump herein shown for accomplishing this com prises a low-pressure large-volume pump 8 which is preferably in the naturev of a centrifugal pump it having the central inlet 9 and the tangential discharge 10. This discharge has a delivery pipe 11 connected thereto.

13 indicates a supply pipe through which liquid or other fluid is delivered to the pump and said supply pipe may extend to any suitable source of supply. In the construction herein shown said supply pipe leads into a tank 27 containing fluid and which it is desired to pump into the chamber 1.

The present invention is also illustrated as having a four-way valve 14 in the piping system by which either the inlet 9 or the delivery pipe 10 of the pump may be connected to the chamber 1. As shown in Fig. 1 the valve is set so that the supply pipe 13 communicates with the inlet 9 and the delivery pipe 11 communicates With a pipe 15 leading to the chamber 1.

The four-way "valve 14 is of the usual plug type arranged so that by giving it a quarter turn the direction of flow will be reversed.

The high-pressure small-volume pump is indicated at 16 and while it may be of any approved type we have herein illustrated a gear pump. The inlet 17 of the pump is connected by a pipe 18 to the pump 8 or its connections and the discharge 19 of the high-pressure pump 16 has a pipe 2O connected thereto throufvh which water is pumped into the chamber 1 t0 be filled. A. check valve is employed to prevent a back or reverse flow of water through the lowpressure pump 8 while the pressure is being built up in the chamber' 1. This check valve may be located at any desirable point so long as it accomplishes this purpose. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a check valve 12 is shown situated in the deliver pipe 11 and the inlet connection 18 to the ugh-pressure pump is located on the inlet side of the check valve 12 while the discharge 19 of the high-pressure pump leads to a point on the discharge side of said check valve. Both pumps are connected to a motor device in such a way that they are both operating simultaneously whenever the motor is in operation. The motor is indicated at 21 and it may be an electric motor or any other type.

As herein shown the motor shaft 22 is connected directly to the runner of the centrif'ugal pump 8. The shaft 23 of the gear pump is belted to the motor shaft 22 by means of a suitable belt 24 and pulleys 25, 26. Therefore, when the motor 21 is operated both pumps will be in operation.

The operation of the device 1s as follows. Whenever it is desired to fill the chamber 1 the four-way valve will be turned into the position shown in Fig. 1 so that its port 30 will connect the pipes 11 and 15 and the port 31 will connect the inlet pipe 13 to the inlet of the low-pressure pump, and the motor will then be started thus operating both pumps.

The large-volume low-pressure pump 8 will operate to deliver water rapidly from the source of supply (which in this instance is a tank 27 in the base of the washing machine and into which the supply pipe 13 cxtends) to the delivery pipe 11 and from thence through the pipe 15 to the chamber 1. During this time the high-pressure pump is also operating to take water from the inlet of the low-pressure pump and deliver it into the discharge pipe 11 and thus the chamber 1 is being filled through the operation of both pumps.

The centrifugal pump 8- will operate ellilio ciently for delivering relatively large voli umes of Water or other fluid under low pressure and when the chamber 1 has been filled and the pressure therein rises to the maximum which the pump 8 will deliver then the runner of said pump 8 will simply slip or turn around in the Water and as soon as this occurs the power required'to operate the runner is ver much reduced over that which is require where thev runner is delivering the water. The high-pressure small-volume pump 16, which has been operating all the time that the low-pressure 12 preventing water from flowing back through the pump 8 due to the higher pressure developed by the highressure pump 16. Although the runner o the low-pressure pump 1s rotating while the high-pres.-

sure pump is building up the pressure yet inasmuch as said runner is merely churning around in the water without delivering any Water the power which is used in rotating the runner of the pump 8 is relatively small.

This pump installation is entirely automatic in its operation, both pumps operating during the filling of the'chamber 1 and until a pressure has been built u' therein lequal to that which the pump 8 wi deliver,

at which time the pump 8 automatically ceases to function as a pump while the highressure pump 16 continues in operation to build up the desired ressure.

By reversin the va ve 14 this pump may be also used ger emptying the water from the chamber 1.

A centrifugal pump has the characteristic that it must be primed before it will function and the arran ement herein illustrated is such that the hig -pressure pump 16 oper.

sure pump so that the high-pressure pump.

is .supplied from the low-pressure pum As soon as the pump 8 becomes proper y' primed then it will begin to function to ymove water as will be readily understood.

With the present invention, therefore, the high-pressure ump not only serves to build up the desirab e high pressure in the chamber 1 but it also acts to automatically prime the low-pressure pump in case said priming action is necessary.

In some installations the low-pressure pump may be situated in a location where it will be constantly maintained in a primed condition. This would occur in case said pump is located in the tank 27 or below the level of the source of supply.'

, While for the purpose of illustration we have shown the invention as applied to a washing machine yet we desire it to be un-l derstood that the reference to the washing machine is simply for illustrative purposes and that the invention is equally applicable for use in connection with other machines and wherever it is desired to pump water rapidly into the chamber and then to build up a pressure in the chamber.

Furthermore, while a four-way valve 14 is shown for convenience inl connection with the washing machine yet under some circumstances this four-way valve may not be necessary.

We claim: p 1. In a pmp, the combination with a chamber to filled in which it is desired'to build u a relatively high pressure, of a large-vo ume low-pressure pump havin its outlet connected to said chamber an its inlet connected to a source of water supply, a checkvalve between the outlet of the pump and -sald chamber, a small volume highpressure pum ada ted to take water from saidsource .o supp y and having its outlet leading tothe discharge side of said check v alve, and means connecting said pumps for simultaneous operation..

.2. In a pump installation, the combination with a chamber to be filled in which it is desired to build up a relatively high-pressure, of a large-volume low-pressure pump having an inlet connected to a source of sup ly, a delivery p i e connecting the outlet oi) said pump to said chamber, a check valve in said deliver pipe, a small-volume high-pressure pump avlng its inlet connected to the inlet of the lowressure pump and its outlet connected to t e delivery pipe on the discharge side of the check valve, and pump-operating means connected to both pumps for operating them simultaneously.

3. In a pump instal ation, the combination with -a chamber to be filled, of a largevolume low-pressure pump, a. delivery pi connecting t e outlet of said pump to said chamber, a check valve in said deliver pipe, a small-volume high-pressure pump having its outlet connected to the dellvery pipe on the discharge side of the check valve, and its inlet in communication with the low-pressure pump, and means for o erating said pumps simultaneously, where y the highressure pump functions both to prime the ow-pressure pump and to build up -a pressure in the chamber beyond that capable of beinfr produced by thelowressure pump.

lJanin a pump, the com ination with a chamber to be filled in which it is desired t0 build u a relatively high pressure, of a large-vo ume low-pressure pum having its outlet connected to said cham er and its inlet connected to a source of water supply, a .small-volume high-pressure pump for building up a high pressure in said chamber,

lmeans-for operating said pumps simultaneously, said pumps being so connected that the high-pressure pump may be used for priming the low-pressure pump, and a check vulve lo prevent walter flowingr bzu'k through the low-pressure pump when the relatively high pressure is heilig built up in Suid chmuber.

5. In :l pump, the combination with :i chamber lo be llled in whieh it is desired to build up :i relatively high pressure, of :l centrifugal pump vhaving; un inlet connected to a source of supply und its outlet connected to said clmmber, u cheek vulve between the outlet of the pump and said chamber, a small-volume high-pressure pump having,r its inlet connected to the inlet of the centrifulegal pump und its outlet connected to the delivery plpe on the discharge side of said l5 gal pump and to build up u pressure in the 20 chamber beyond that capable of being produced b v the centrifugal pump.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

GEORGE C. GRAHAM. ROBERT S. ROBE. 

